Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the generation of high-energy microwave pulses, in particular those based on HPEM technology, wherein a pulse, preferably a so-called DS pulse, is generated by way of a pulse generator that is fed from an energy source. The DS pulse is then emitted via an antenna. The present invention also relates to a corresponding configuration for generating high-energy microwave pulses.
High-energy or high-energy-density microwave pulses, in particular those based on HPEM (high power electromagnetic) technology, are used nowadays to destroy electronic components in objects which represent a threat, for example those of explosive charges that are fired on a time basis or are controlled by mobile telephones, for example explosive traps or the like, or at least to render them inoperable. Corresponding systems that generate such microwave pulses are preferably used in the form of portable systems or are carried on vehicles. They should therefore be as compact as possible. However, the capability to use such systems is not only restricted to the short-range domain, but can also be extended over longer ranges, for example with the aim of adversely affecting the flight path of electronically controlled objects, such as rockets or the like. The object for these described operational capabilities is to produce pulses with an energy density and a power that is as high as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,528 describes a microwave pulse generator in which a pulse with a flank gradient in the order of magnitude of one nanosecond and an amplitude in the range from 12-20 kV is produced on a first radio path. That pulse is then converted via a further, series-connected radio path, which acts as a switch, to a damped sinusoidal oscillation (DS pulse) and is emitted via a reflector and an antenna. With systems such as those, the flank gradient of the emitted pulse is generally limited.
In order to increase the energy density of pulses such as these, the art has additionally moved towards providing configurations with a plurality of parallel-connected microwave generators, as described in the commonly assigned German published patent application DE 10 2006 014 230 A1 and German patent DE 103 13 286 B3 (corresp. to U.S. Pat. No. 7,233,084 B2). However, configurations such as those have the disadvantage that they require a certain amount of space, and are therefore suitable only to limited extent for systems with reduced dimensions.